Saturday, 15 August 2015

Review: Terrakami Games Maglev Train

Every board we play on should have a variety of terrain, from big burnt-out buildings to simple chest-high walls. You don't see many trains though. And after reviewing Terrakami Games' Maglev train, I think we should be adding more railed transport.

This set is the MagLev Train MKII, two kilos of MDF-based choo-choo-ing glory. Retailing at 49 Euros (about £35), this set contains two engines-both with removable roofs-, four cargo carriages, magnets for each unit, and a few acrylic plastic parts such as windows and consoles, all of which is scaled for 28mm gaming. The wooden parts have laser-cut details, meaning a lot of the hard work is done for you when it comes to painting. As I found out painting this company's crates, the laser designs aid in painting and help create natural shading, by having physical shade.

The beauty of this set is that you don't need glue; it all push-fits together. Still, a bit of PVA will only aid it. The majority goes together with ease, though a few parts do need some gentle persuasion.

Despite the terrifying amount of parts at first, it is a fairly simple kit to put together. Each carriage only takes about ten to 15 minutes to make; the engines much longer. It can be a bit fiddly at times, but persistence prevails and what you end up with at the end of this process is something truly magnificent..

The end result is a futuristic train which looks the part in any sci-fi game, particularly the game it was intended for-Infinity. Because you get two engines and four carriages, you could easily set this up as two different trains, ideal if you are making a train yard or station-themed gaming board. The interiors are a great touch, and would be well-suited as the settings for objectives (the glowing screens are great for this use).

At 20cm per carriage, and the train reaching way over a metre in length, it is big. Big enough, in fact, that each trailer can comfortably fit a Malcador super-heavy tank on board.

Whilst this is certainly a piece only for larger tables, it is a worthwhile purchase. For your money you get a sturdy, well designed and multi-use set of interlinking terrain pieces that will make for a great centrepiece, or a part of something bigger